War Doesn't Bring Glory
by Theresalwaysthatone
Summary: It's been almost 2,000 years since the Dragonet Prophecy, and dragons are now more advanced than ever. But no matter how much you evolve, some part will devolve. And no matter how much you improve humanity, they always find a way to tear humanity apart. And as much as people think, there's no glory in the flames of war.
1. Chapter 1

The sky was grey and dull in the early morning light. Smoke rose from the chimneys dotted across the swampy fields, the wisps floating hazily into the air. The chimneys themselves were attached to various brick houses. Despite the day just awakening, the town was unusually bustling with activity. In one of the houses, a muddy-brown dragon was packing a bag. He sighed, mild fear in his eyes. Not the fear for himself, but the fear for what he loved. The dragon's mate walked out of the kitchen, followed by two young dragonets. His mate, a light clay color, looked at what he was doing. "It's happened, hasn't it?" She asked.

The other dragon nodded, a solemn look on his face. "Yes my love… it's happened. I've been called up to the front, and I have to leave by this afternoon."

The clay-colored dragon looked at him for a bit, then rushed up to him and put her wings around him. He didn't stop her as she let out her tears, and soon they were both crying. The dragonets knew they were upset, but they didn't know why. On the cabinet next to them, sat what resembled a phone, or an MP3 player. In it was the electronic data for a recording made earlier that day.

 _Voice log one…... It looks like I'll be doing a lot of these in the future..._

 _It's been 6,719 years since the scorching, and we dragons have come so far as a species. We now live comfortably in our homes; we have plumbing and heat. We have all anyone would want! Almost no one's hungry, we have highly advanced hospitals, we're more sanitary than ever, we even have government funded schools! But what good is it all when no one learns anything? What good is history if we never learn from it?..._

 _It all started at the Meeting Under the Moon, a meeting at midnight for all queens to come together. That was the first murder. Without warning, the queen of Icewings was dead. Dead. Outrage ensured, but people held back their protests enough to make sure another war didn't happen. The next afternoon, in broad daylight, my queen, the queen of Mudwings was slaughtered. Blood flowed down the streets that day. And then only a few hours later, we got word of the Skywing queen being dead. The Skywing was a tyrant, she deserved it, but everyone else was completely the opposite. There was no reason for anyone to kill them; They could just ask for an audience with the queen to settle any disputes. But they didn't._

 _It was like the world was torn apart. Each kingdom swore it was the other who killed their queens, and before you could curse the three moons, war was declared, treaties were signed, and armies were mobilized. No one cared about peace anymore. Pyrrhia was suddenly spit into three. The Eastern Alliance, consisting of the Seawings, the Mudwings, and the Rainwings; the United West, with Icewings and Sandwings, the opposites, but fiercer than all the rest; and the Pyrrhia Republic, with the Skywings and Nightwings. I'm going to be honest… I wished we came up with the name "Pyrrhia Republic," for that's what we are, right?_

 _Now I have a question, a simple question; What can we possibly make that's deadlier than Sandwing barbs, Icewing claws, and Rainwing acid? Firearms. No matter our strides in greatness, we must always find a way to make it easier to take someone's life away from them. It's range is farther than fire, it's easy to use for the inexperienced, and you can kill with the twitch of a claw. Maybe you're thinking about Dragonflame cacti, and I can assure you we've made worse. We've even made tanks; giant, moving, metal shells of mass destruction that shoots metal shells of mass destruction. Downside? They can only be used on the ground. The other side? It's not like we can go in the air anyways; we'd get blown out of the sky. You see what I mean? History repeats itself, just more bloody than before. What has our world come to? People's lives torn away, for something half of them don't give a damn about! My mate… my dragonets… I might never see them again…_

 _It's time for me to pack up, I need to be at the station by ten. Goodbye._

The muddy one spoke first. "Look… Estrill… if I… if I don't come back… I need you to take care of Lael and Quec for me… Let them know that their father fought for them… to ensure they lived and loved for the days to come…"

Estrill nodded, tears flowing from her eyes. "Can't you stay? Just tell them you won't do it…"

"Sweetie… you know that's not how it works. I don't want us to get in serious trouble. I love you… but this is something I can't get out of. I have to leave soon, so let's have one last breakfast… as a family…"

The dragonets were greatly confused. The smallest one, Quec, spoke up. "Dad… What's wrong? Where are you going?"

His father smiled sadly. "I'm going away on a journey. I might not come back, so I need you to look after your mother, ok?"

"You're… you're leaving us?..." Lael asked.

"Not because I want to, but because I have to. Now let's go and have that breakfast of ours, I'm starving." He tried to put on a face of happiness and excitement, but both he and Estrill knew that he was only delaying the inevitable.

The inevitable came of course. The Mudwing stood on a platform, his bags strapped to his chest. On each bag was a nametag that read _Uili_ on the thin metal sheet. He sighed and looked around. Everywhere surrounding him were dragons, mostly Mudwings, with either hardened or frightened looks etched onto into their expressions. The blare of a train echoed across the land. A blast of wind hit Uili before the train rode into the station. Metal grating on metal, and another blast of the horn, as the train slowed to a stop. It was an interesting train, being a mix between a cargo train and one ment for passengers. Designed for minimum comfort, and maximum space, the metal doors rolled open. Uili stepped in, and sat in a corner. Even though dragons were perfectly capable of flying to their destination, trains were still created due to their speed and ability to move many large objects around with ease. He put his bags down beside him, and waited for all the people to enter. _Where am I going now? Training I guess… but there's no way I'll survive the harshness of the field! I've never done anything like that! I'm just a simple writer…_ He looked at the electronic device that was in his bag's front pocket and smiled. _Well, if I'm going to perish… I might as well document it as I go along. Give the people back home something to listen to…_ The scraping of metal hit his ears, and he looked up. The doors were closed. The only light came from a dim glow on the ceiling, produced by a low power bulb hanging on a wire. Not a single word was spoken, as no one could bring themselves to break the silence. He sighed, then a shudder ran through the train. He looked around. Right before he relaxed, the entire train lurched forward. Uili stabilized himself as the train started heading forward. He had never been on a train before, and was unused to all the different motions that occurred without his will. The drone of the wheels on the track increased in intensity until it was the overriding sound. Every now and then, the tracks would dip, or would merge with others made at a later time, and the train would let out a shudder. To waste time, Uili took out a cube. The cube was divided into three pieces on each side, and each side, when matched up correctly, had a different color. But try as he might, he could never figure the puzzle out. He had just solved the white side when a Mudwing shuffled next to him. The newcomer had hazel eyes, a chubby snout, and a light smile in his face. "May I try?" The Mudwing asked, looking at Uili and the cube.

Uili shrugged, and handed it over to him. "If you wish." The Mudwing took the cube, and started spinning the pieces around with his claws. In less than two minutes the Mudwing gave back the cube to Uili, complete. Uili looked at him in shock, trying to figure out how he did it so quickly. "How did you?..."

The Mudwing smiled lightly. "It's not as random as you think, there's a certain order you're supposed to do each step in. It just takes practice." He stuck out a paw. "My name's Zueq. Your's?"

Uili took his paw and shook it. "The name's Uili. Looks like we're both here on the train to hell."

Zueq chuckled. "Well then we better buckle up, because hell ain't gonna hold back."

Uili grinned at him. "So? If defeating the devil himself is how I get back to my home and family, then I'll gladly take him on in a duel of death."

"Impressive. I wouldn't want to be your enemy." Zueq paused, then thought out-loud; "With how the world is, it would seem that the government has gone mad."

The thought surprised Uili, and he sat up all the way. "What do you mean?"

"Well… we're getting pulled out to fight for things not all of us believe in, just because someone important died to a criminal like countless numbers do everyday. Does it not seem corrupted? And then the question that everyone asks: Why did they kill her?"

Uili fiddled with the cube some more, before responding. "I… I don't know the answers. To any of them. But what you say is true. Why should thousands die just because one died?" He paused, then thought of something. "I just answered my own question. It's simple: Power. She had power, power someone else wants. So she had to be disposed of." His sky-blue eyes, a rarity in Mudwings, stared at Zueq, waiting for him to answer. Zueq opened his mouth, about to answer when the train's horn went off, cutting his response. The blast of sound lasted a few seconds, and then stopped. The sound of old brakes screeching ripped through the air, and Uili was fighting for balance again as the train slowed to a halt. As soon as the train stopped completely, a hissing sound filled the air as the various machinery shutted down. A few minutes went by, in which everyone was completely silent, and then the doors grated open. There was a blast of sunlight, and then Uili adjusted to it. The landscape was bare, save for a few tents and trenches. The muddy ground was trampled, and rifle shots echoed through the air. A Seawing with armor attached to his chest stood in front of the door. On the armor was a few lines, dictating his rank. He cleared his throat, and then yelled, "Okay folks! Get off the train and I'll tell you what we're doing next! This is the army, no dilly-dallying! Remember, this is just training!"

Uili stood up and walked out of the cart, with Zueq beside him. Uili smiled grimly, and said to his new friend, "Welcome to hell. You've only seen the entrance of it. I hope you're ready for the grand tour."

The doors closed, echoing their fate across the makeshift station. Uili stepped onto the worn ground, a squelch coming from his paws. The mud sifted over his claws, and brought the first of many hardships.

The war had begun.


	2. Chapter 2

_Voice log two. I've just finished my two weeks of training. Within those two weeks, I've held a gun for the first time, shot for the first time, got punished for the first, and not last, time, and many other firsts. I think the best thing was... I think the best time in this camp of torment was Zueq. He's probably the only reason I've kept my sanity. He can always make light of a situation, always tries to smile, always thinks of others, and always takes the blame. Although I'll take it myself instead of him if I can help it. Being under command is a very… different? Unique?...Uhh… Unsettling? I'll stick with different, it's easier. But it definitely is a very different experience than from at home. Sure, you follow orders for work, but I mostly keep to myself. I've never been under direct command before… Knowing that someone's judging your every move, your every action, is a very unsettling experience. Having someone watch you, and then punish you accordingly is also different than I know. Having… it's weird, that's what I'm saying._

 _The food here is horrendous, but at least it keeps us full. That is, if we don't spill it back out first. The conditions are awful too, but that was only training. Soon it'll be the battlefield. We're being transported to the lines as we speak... I… it's either me or them… I could kill... but I could die as well. I can die. What if that was the last time I would see them? What if I never returned? What would happen? Would I be yet just another unburied body on the battlefield, lost in the memory of others? Forgotten… alone… I should probably stop talking now, try to gather my thoughts. These voice logs… they do help me calm down. They… they're a nice way to let go of my feelings… On another note, Zueq and me have a lot in common. He also has a family, and is more of a country fellow like myself. He has three kids, they're pretty cute, he showed me a picture. And he never stops talking about them, and his mate. I think it's interesting how different the two are, yet love each other the same. That is, if what he says is true… He's sleeping right now, trying to catch some rest on the train. That's a big difference between us. While he can sleep whenever he wants, it's almost impossible for me to settle down. It's like he can just make himself fall asleep. How does he do that? It takes me like twenty minutes to go to bed…_

 _I can hear the battlefield from here… The rattle of gunfire, the explosion of shells going off, and the various activities from both sides. I'm almost there. Goodbye._

The dull clouds billowed across the grey sky, water yet to sprout from the lumps of dark fluff. No beams of light broke through the ceiling of clouds and mist, just the faint glow that snuck through to the surface. The ground was completely torn up, ripped apart from the horrors of war. On one side of the battlefield was a series of bunkers and holes, mixed in with various areas dominated by artillery. On the other side, trenches were gouged into earth, and tents were propped up a safe distance behind everything. Smaller, more mobile, artillery was set up in any place there was room. Each side would let out a series of shots, and then that battlefield would go quiet for a few minutes before continuing. _Boom._ The sound of a shell being launched into the air hit Uili's ears. He winced, still getting used to the constant gunfire. _Boom_. Another shot from the artillery. Uili was stuck in the trenches, like all the rest, listening to the sound of rounds being released from guns all day. He had only been there for half a week, so he hadn't yet gone to the front line. He was lucky though, Zueq was in the same squadron as he was. How they could win a war by sitting in a muddy hole, Uili had no clue. He only know that soon they wouldn't have to stay in the hole. _Boom_. He and Zueq had heard rumors, only whispers, that the Eastern Alliance was planning a move on their foes. When Pyrrhia was split in two, it was a battle between two side. Now that it was between three factions, all out chaos ensured. Every side had to watch there back, as they could all be attacked from behind. The days seemed to go by so fast, but so slow at the same time. At the beginning the days sped past with various activities filling his waking hours. Now it seemed to go by slower than a lecture. The only thing occupying his mind was the thought that at any moment, his life could be snatched away from a stray bullet, or utterly disintegrated by the hail of artillery. There was about two-hundred or so common infantry in his platoon, the Eastern Alliance 21st Assault Squadron. When the day came for the big push into the territory, his and five other squadrons would be the ones expected to push in. _Apart from Zueq, I've made friends with two other people. Atal, a Seawing who seems to be always pissed, and Amber, one of the smartest Rainwings I've ever met. The four of us all together never do anything alone. Look at me, now I'm even thinking like I'm recording._ Uili smiled at the thought, then looked to his left. Zueq was reading a scroll, Atal was eating his limited rations, and Amber was nowhere to be seen. Uili shuffled over to where Zueq was and asked, "Whatcha readin'?"

Zueq looked up from his story and shrugged. "It's a story about this dragon that could see souls. The beginning was pretty bad, but it doesn't look like the author was professional or anything. She claims it's a true story. Of course, I doubt it."

"Well, maybe she was just trying to get you to buy it." He pointed out. "You know, like a marketing technique."

Zueq shrugged again, and continued reading. There was a pause, and then Atal said, "I heard we were being moved up to the front line either today or tomorrow."

"What?!" The cry came in unison from both of them.

Atal turned his attention from his food to them. "Yeah. It could happen at any moment. I just thought I'd warn you."

Uili shook his head in shock. "I honestly didn't think they'd send us. I thought that we'd make the advancement before they pushed us up to the front…" He looked up at the sky. "The world has gone mad…"

"Oi, whadda I miss?" Amber was standing there, a packet of food in his hand. He was looking down at the two, curiosity in his eyes. Uili beckoned him over, and he sat down next to them. Atal repeated his earlier conversation to Amber. Unlike the other two, he was completely silent. The only thing he said after the end was, "I hope you like the smell of gunpowder in the morning, because that's what we'll be smelling for the next week or two." Amber took the packet and ripped a jagged hole into the plastic-like material, trying to get into the meal inside. Whatever could be considered a meal at least.

Trying to get his mind away, Uili turned his head to Zueq and asked, "What chapter are you on?"

Zueq, not looking up, said, "Chapter six. About halfway through. A ton of crazy stuff has happened. At this point it sounds like pure fantasy."

Uili nodded. "What did you expect? It's a story. It's false. Did you really think otherwise?"

Zueq didn't say anything, and tried to hide his embarrassment in his scroll. Uili smiled, and then looked at his voice recorder. It was already dusty, and hung from his sash. The small thing had been his way to escape from reality, and to vent his emotions. He was certain that it saved him many times from drifting into insanity. Uili debated on whether or not he should record one right then. He decided against it, and tried to start a conversation. "How's the gen for front line?"

Atal shrugged. "Some say he's crazy, some say he's the best out there. He seems alright, and a good leader. Just don't get on his bad side." While not really called slang, there was many abbreviations and shortened words the soldiers used. "Gen" was an easy one. It was simply short for "General."

Uili yawned, tired from the labors of the day, and then nodded his head in approval. "I can deal with good, short-tempered ones. They're the most common ones."

Zueq laughed. "They most definitely are. I have never had a gen that was as sweet as my mother. Tough as nails they are, but most mean well."

Uili smiled. "Besides, it's what we've been trained to deal with since we were in basics. Speak only when spoken to, always follow orders, and never take initiative. It's what they drilled into our heads."

Amber grinned. "They always love to squash any ingenuity or creativity from us. Discipline and all that jazz."

Zueq shook his head. "Military's a tough thing. They don't care about you. The government don't care, they just want to win."

Uili grinned. "Welcome to hell. You've only seen the entrance of it."

Laughter came from that quote, surprisingly from Atal. "That's the truest thing I've ever heard. Why just yesterday when-"

He didn't get to finish his sentence.

Suddenly a coarse shout. "Get down!" The group of friends immediately dove to the ground, just like they were taught. A sharp whistling sound pierced through the air. _Thunk_. The sound of metal embedding into the ground rippled out, moments before the roar of an explosion. There was no fireball. The blast shook outwards, decimating the trench and sending shrapnel everywhere. As the group was hitting the ground, the shockwave tore through them, causing them to grimace. Pain shot into Uili's ears, and then left a dull ringing that seemed to have no intention on leaving. Uili groaned and looked up. On the ground was Zueq and Amber, covering their heads with their wings, but seemingly unharmed. Then there was Atal. He was clutching at his arm, a large fragment of the shell driven into it. The metal, his claws, and the ground, were all drenched in bright-red blood. Atal's mouth was opened in a soundness howl, the ringing still blocking Uili's hearing. His heart skipped a beat. Not that far away, another artillery strike found it's target. As soon as he could comprehend what was going on, all he could think was, _How in the three moons are the strikes hitting the back lines, and what happened?_ He looked over to where the explosion hit. A crater in the ground, loose dirt everywhere, and pieces of the shell littered the earth. One dragon didn't make it out if of the blast, and his disembodied corpse was sprinkled in the blast. Uili dragged himself over to the side of the trench. The ringing in his ears had dissipated, allowing him to hear everything. It was then he remembered Atal. He grabbed hold of one arm, and dragged him to the side with a huff. Atal let out a cry of pain at the sudden movement, but Uili wanted to get him as far away from danger as possible. Both Zueq and Amber followed suit, crawling over to the two dragons at the edge. Uili's heart was racing, and terror was etched into him. He never thought he'd be in danger at the back, and the attacks were completely unheard of. The artillery wasn't even supposed to be able to go that far. Even then, returning fire was shot back towards the other side as quickly as possible. Uili turned his head to the two unharmed ones. "What the hell just happened?!" He shouted, just in case they were still affected by the strike.

Zueq was breathing heavily, and shook his head. "I… I don't know…"

"Medic! We need a medic over here!" Amber's yell reverberated through the trenches. He waited a minute, then repeated his call. Most of the medically trained soldiers were up in the front, where they were needed the most. Only a handful of them stayed in the back. Another minute passed, and then another, both accompanied with Amber's call. It hit them that there was no medics in the area. They were alone. Amber shook his head. "They're not going to come, they're not here. I'm going to find one, stay right here." He stood up and started running down the trenches, averting his eyes from the carnage. Uili started to call him back, but Amber had already disappeared.

Atal let out a groan. "It hurts… stop… it… please..." His breath was fitful, trying to ease the pain.

It was then that Uili remembered something. A hint of hesitation, and then he made up his mind. He raised his claws to his vest, hastily ripped open a pocket, and pulled out a tube of something. Uili tore off the cap, revealing a needle, took a breath, and plunged it into Atal's leg, opposite of the wound. He clenched his hand, emptying the contents into Atal's bloodstream. "T-there… that should help." He said shakily. Uili pulled out the tube, and threw it to the ground.

Zueq was against the wall of the trench, muttering something under his breath. "You… you gave him Apresant?..." Uili nodded. Apresant was a powerful drug, designed to stop pain and to calm the patient. It might have been wasteful to use it on a simple fragmentation wound, but Uili didn't care. He watched as it took effect, and Atal started taking deep breaths. If Atal was lucky, he might get pulled out for the wound, and wouldn't have to fight the war.

"Move out of the way!" A dragon wearing a red cross across his arm pushed past them, carrying a bag. Amber was right behind the dragon, looking grim. The dragon opened the bag and then looked at the two friends. "What the hell are you doing over here?! The gen made clear that he wants you to get your ass and get the fuck to the front!"

Both Uili and Zueq looked at Amber, who nodded in approval. "What about Atal?" Zueq asked.

"He'll be fine! I've seen worse. Now move!"

Amber beckoned them over, and they all started running through the maze of trenches. Amber guided them to the armory. _The house of death._ Uili thought darkly. He pushed through the door, and grabbed the nearest weapon he had been trained in. The weapon closely resembled the infamous M1 Garand, the difference being the barrel length, a little bit longer, and the clip size. The gun held twelve bullets, capable of murdering a dragon, and obliterating any lesser creature. In the armory, there was different variants, some with shorter barrels for shorter conflicts, some with simple scopes, and other various modifications to suit the user's need. Uili pulled a belt with ammo, and slung it over his shoulder. He looked over, and saw the other two doing the same, choosing their weapon of choice. Uili grabbed the charging handle and pulled it back, where it locked in place, exposing a empty slot as the slide was opened. He pulled out a magazine, and pushed it into the slot until he heard it click. Uili pulled to handle back further, to unlock it from its hitch, then let go. It snapped back into its original position, giving off a sound that would have been satisfying under normal circumstances. War doesn't bring satisfaction. Uili hurried back outside, keeping the safety on so as to not cause any accidental damage. He was closely followed by Amber and Zueq. Uili broke into a run, snarling.

A artillery shot into the grey sky.

Gunshots rang in the air.

Somewhere a cry of pain rang out.

Welcome to hell. You've only seen the entrance of it.


	3. Chapter 3

**_A.U: Yeah I was too lazy to properly space this out. I also forgot to post this chapter so oof. I need to get back into writing..._**

 ** _Sorry for boring you. Here's chapter 4_**

The voice recorder hung from his chest, unused. Above, the dark, swollen clouds and the occasional gust of wind. Below, the mud of the trench, trampled from feet. The trench itself was held up by planks of wood, keeping the dirt from flooding the long tunnels. He clutched his rifle, leaning against the trench walls. _Ratatatatatatatat._ The sudden burst of machine gun fire crackled through the air. That was his signal. Uili jumped up, positioning himself with a clear shot to the opposing side. He hesitated for a brief second, then pulled the trigger. One shot. Two. Three. Four. Five. The sixth one was almost surreal. His claw pushed the trigger back, even as he aimed down the sights. The rifle shot it's deadly projectile, followed by it ejecting it's smoking shell. The recoil shook through his body like a lightning bolt, every sense surprisingly clear. And then through the circle of his iron-sight, he saw the head and chest of a Sandwing, strikingly clear. The Sandwing suddenly jerked back, and fell into a trench. A single hole, the size of a pinprick from this distance, was drilled into the head of the Sandwing, and then the dragon disappeared from sight. Uili slid down into the trench, breathing heavily. He spent two days in the front line, little over three weeks in the war, and 17 years of his life being alive. And he would remember this moment for the rest of his life. The first time he took a life. The Mudwing's grip on his weapon tightened. His head was a torment of emotions, and he couldn't think straight. _What have I become? How can other's do this? He could have had a family. Hopes, dreams, all vanishing within that instant. People do this all the time._ As he was thinking about what had happened, dust flew from the top of the other side of the trench as a hail of bullets bore into the wall. A few seconds later it dissipated. Uili dry-swallowed, thinking about how he could have died, if only he was on the other side of the trench. He couldn't take it. He grabbed his canteen and downed the water quickly. Water was everywhere, especially in the trenches, but almost none of it was consumable. He stumbled from his position to Zueq, almost crawling to stay out of sight of the enemy. Zueq was sitting down, reading a letter. Uili shuffled next to him. He looked at himself and a grim smile emerged. _It's a good thing I like mud._ Uili shook his head. "Zueq!" He greeted. "How's life in this dank hole in the marsh?"

The Mudwing smiled, looking up from the piece of parchment. "Awful. They haven't even cleaned my bed. I rate it a three out of ten."

Uili chuckled lightly, trying to forget what happened moments before, but still feeling the pressing weight on his chest. "'Three out of ten, too many explosions.' So what are you reading?"

"This? Oh, it's just a letter from my wife. Asking about how I was, and informing how it was back at home."

A pang of homesickness hit Uili. "I haven't got a letter yet… I wonder how my dragonets are…"

Zueq smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure they're fine. You need to worry about yourself. You know how to make sure they're alright?"

"How?"

"By staying alive."

"Hahaha. Fuck you."

"I'm serious. If you want them to stay happy, you can start by keeping yourself from getting killed. Isn't that what you want? Them to be happy?" Uili had no response to this. There was a long silence, and then Zueq spoke. "So, what have you done this morning?"

Uili considered the wisdom of telling him, and then gave in. But it came out a bit darker than expected. "I took someone's hopes, dreams, and accomplishments and then crushed them within a second."

Zueq looked at him, confused. "Translate please?"

He took a deep breath. "I killed someone for the first time." Instead of stopping there, he continued speaking. "I know what your going to say; we're at war, what do you expect? But you need to realize that I care. That Sandwing was as scared as we are. He could have had a family. He wanted to be alive as much as me and you. I had to, because if I didn't, he would have killed me. Does that make it ok? Why are we even doing this? Just because someone important died?! One person dies, so thousands other have to follow?!" He was shouting by now. "How can this even be justified?! I know I'm supposed to be tough, I know I'm supposed to be brave and fearless, but how can I? If I stood two feet further away, I would have died! If we were any closer, we would have all died from the shell! This is bullshit! Fuck this war and everything it stands for!" At this point he was practically crying, his gun shaking as he did. "Why do we do this? Becoming forever tainted in the blood of those we kill?" He shook his head. "I can't… I can't…"

Zueq was shocked at the sudden outburst. It took him a few seconds to comprehend. To understand what happened. Uili always struck him as a strong character. He wasn't fearless, but he always knew what he was fighting for, and wouldn't stop till they were done. "I…" He couldn't think of anything to say, and instead wrapped his wing around the Mudwing. Instead of affection, this one portrayed sympathy and comfort. Uili sobbed quietly, allowing the touch. Zueq took a breath. "Look, I know this is hard for you, but you need to be strong. Your right, this war is almost pointless, but we need to carry on, or else we can't call ourselves Mudwings of the Mud Kingdom. We're fighting for our kingdom, and to keep our families safe."

Uili nodded, the tears abating. "I know… just… I'm sorry…" He said, embarrassed.

"Don't be. I understand how you feel, it's nothing to be ashamed of." Zueq told him encouragingly. Sensing that the moment was over, he took his wing off Uili. "I know this is hard, but that's why you need to be strong. Now come on, let's go check on Amber. Oh yeah, that reminded me of something. Atal is going to be well enough to be back by next week. Happy?"

Uili smiled lightly. "I would have hoped he got sent home, but honestly, I'm glad he's back here with us." He stood up, carefull to keep everything out of sight from the opposing side, and beckoned Zueq to follow. They walked down the trench to where Amber was situated. The Rainwing himself was sitting there, with a scoped rifle in one hand, and a cup of field coffee in the other. As he drank the liquid, Uili could see he was holding back a grimace from the bitterness. "Hey Amber, how are you doing?"

He set down the coffee. "I'm taking a break for a bit. Croder over here is taking my watch for a bit." He nodded to a Mudwing who had the muzzle of his rifle stuck through a intentional break in the sandbags. He was looking down the zoomed image shown in his scope, scouting for targets. "I told him he could have some of my kipletecs." Even as full grown dragons, they all loved those kinds of food every now and then, and fresh fruit was rare to come by those days. Amber was a sniper, as evident by his loadout. His ability to keep a steady hand and stay calm helped him greatly with his job. Zueq had amazing reactions, and was able to recover from any ambushes, shown in his excellent score at the Infiltrate and Assault portion of his training. Atal was tactically brilliant. Being able to plan and quickly compromise for any errors helped him as the "leader" of the group. Uili on the other hand, lacked in all of those, but had near perfect accuracy. If placed in a simple firefight between two people, he would easily emerge the victor. At the end of his training, he had a ninety-five percent accuracy rating. Even though they all had their weaknesses, they covered each other together.

Zueq pushed Amber playfully. "You gave up your fruit just to drink a cup of coffee for a few minutes?"

"Hey! Can I not do anything without someone criticizing me? Besides, not anymore, 'cause you spilt what was left. Bitch." The Rainwing grumpily looked at the coffee on the ground.

Uili smiled. "I still don't understand how you can even drink that vile stuff. It literally tastes like water and mud."

Zueq nodded in agreement. "It probably is." He sat down next to Amber, who was more of a dull green at this point. "Atal will be back with us in a couple days. Apparently the wound wasn't that bad, it just looked worse than it was. He'll live."

Uili already knew about this information, but for Amber, it was completely new. "Really? That's amazing. What would we do without him?"

"Did I just sense a hint of sarcasm?"

"Maybe." He smiled. "All joking aside, I am glad he's coming back." Amber put down his empty mug, and stood up. "Ok Croder, I can take watch again. The kipletecs are in my bag. Enjoy." Croder grunted, and walked off to where the general storage was. The not-so-colorful Rainwing grabbed his rifle and repositioned it in the sniper slot. "Well, I need to get back to work. But uh… do me a favor and ask when we'll finally be leaving this hellhole. And maybe some more coffee?"

Uili nodded as he walked off, carefully keeping his own rifle away from anyone. Zueq was close behind him, smiling. "Should we actually get him the coffee?"

"Nah." Zueq said. "He really should stop drinking that wretched stuff anyways." Uili nodded. "We should still go ask the gen though." Zueq added as an afterthought. The new general of the squadron was located in a bunker moulded into the side of the trench. He wasn't all that strict, but he expected orders to be followed, as far as they figured out. Uili and Zueq weren't that terribly worried about being yelled at. After navigating the maze of earthly corridors, they finally arrived at the general's "office." Zueq stepped forward and knocked on the metal door. A gruff voice gave them permission to enter, and the group unbolted the door with some difficulty. Zueq walked in first, followed by Uili. Remembering their training, both of them stood at attention. In front of them was a Seawing, laying down with a desk in front of him. No chair could be seen. "Sorry for interrupting, sir. We just wanted to ask a question, sir." Zueq said, still standing there.

The general stood up and looked at them. "Who do you think you are, to walk into my office and dare question me? Where does it say anywhere on that slip you signed that you can act like so?" Just as they expected. As they turned around though, the general burst out laughing. "Come back over here, I'm just messing with yah. And you discard all of that "sir" business. Call me Mahar. What do you need?"

This, on the other hand, was not expected whatsoever. They stopped, and turned back towards him. Zueq was the first to respond, once again. "Oh, uh, si- I mean…" He cleared his throat. "Sorry for intruding on any plans or whatnot, but me and my friend have heard a lot of rumors that there will be an invasion or something similar. No one has been able to confirm this, and, excuse our curiosity, we had to know for certain what was going on." Uili looked at Zueq enviously. He was always the charismatic kind, and Uili secretly wished he was as good with words. The statement was simple, yet effectively explained what they wanted to know. The general smiled, but was a little bit too light for Uili's liking. "I'll answer that with a command. Tell Captain Ramder that it's time for Action 209. I trust you to bring it with haste. Now go!" The general shooed, settling back down. Uili noticed how cluttered his desk was, and realized how much planning went into war. Uili grabbed his rifle, and ran out with Zueq. Three things were going through his mind:

 _Where are we pushing to?_

 _Where is Captain Ramder?_

 _What's going to happen to us._

He was answered soon enough.


End file.
